The AAII Journal

July 2009 Issue

Stock indexes remain substantially below their peaks, banks are in lousy shape, and governments around the world are running huge deficits. The market has been a brutal teacher, but there are important lessons to be learned from the crisis--and positive steps investors can take going forward.

Would you rather start investing for retirement during a bull market or a bear market? While some young investors may be warily viewing stocks right now, in the past such downturns have presented investors with rare opportunities to benefit from healthy future returns. A new study by T. Rowe Price.

Do you need help understanding Medicare benefits? These Web sites offer the best information relating to basic coverage issues, benefits offered, how to enroll, how to choose your options and how to compare plans.

Munis offer income that is sheltered from federal taxes, but at yields that are typically lower than taxable bonds. How do you compare bonds yields that receive different tax treatments? A relatively simple formula puts the yields on an equal tax footing.

Only time will tell whether we are experiencing a true turnaround, but the typical exchange-listed stock is up over 27% for the year, and many of the AAII stock screens have turned in performances that dwarf the broader market.

The good news: The Model Shadow Stock Portfolio is up 30.1% year-to-date, and way ahead of the S&P 500. But bear market math is brutal: When you are down 50%, you have to go back up 100% just to get even, and for that, we still have quite a ways to go.

Stock indexes remain substantially below their peaks, banks are in lousy shape, and governments around the world are running huge deficits. The market has been a brutal teacher, but there are important lessons to be learned from the crisis--and positive steps investors can take going forward.

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